Kushner's Affinity Partners raises $5B from Gulf investors amid diplomatic role
What's the deal? Jared Kushner has raised an additional $5 billion for his private equity firm, Affinity PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, from Middle Eastern investors, according to a report by The New Yorker . He secured the capital while serving as a US special envoy in diplomatic negotiations with Iran.
The details: Affinity's total capital grew about 30% in 2025 to more than $6 billion following new Middle Eastern investments. The firm collects tens of millions of dollars a year in management fees, even though only a portion of the capital has been deployed.
Where the money goes: Kushner has used Saudi-backed capital for investments in Israel, including about $110 million in car-leasing company Shlomo Group and roughly $300 million in Phoenix FinancialDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The investments have been presented as an effort to build an economic link between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Why now? Affinity was formed in 2021, when Saudi Arabia's Public Investment FundDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → committed $2 billion to the firm. It has since attracted capital from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, keeping Kushner's financial ties to Gulf governments under scrutiny.
What could go wrong? The report by Dexter Filkins examines the overlap between Kushner's private investment activities and his diplomatic role under President Donald Trump. Ethics specialists and former government lawyers argue that simultaneous fundraising and diplomacy could expose him to legal scrutiny, particularly if political control in Congress changes.
Kushner has defended his foreign relationships. In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes , he said: "What people call conflicts of interest, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world."
The Trump administration has rejected suggestions that Kushner's business interests improperly influence his diplomacy. Following regional conflict and dissatisfaction among some Gulf investors over the lack of stability, he took a secondary role in peace negotiations, with Vice President JD Vance assuming a larger part.
The signal: The fundraising underscores how deeply Gulf sovereign wealth now flows into US private equity — and how blurred the line can become when a fund manager also serves as a government envoy to the same states backing his firm.
Read more: tbsnews.net
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